Managing short answer exams
Writing short answer questions in the Sciences
Students often do not score well on short answer
questions because they engage in a ‘brain dump’ of
information rather than a careful analysis of the
question. Consequently, they do not always provide the
information that the examiner was looking for.
To do well in an exam it is important to
understand fully what the question is
asking and how it should be answered
before you start writing.
Read the question very carefully
What are you being asked about? What content or
knowledge are you being asked to express? What part
of the course does it relate to?
How are you being asked to present your knowledge
(explain? analyse? compare?)
Where are the limitations? Many questions also have
restrictions (limiters) that ask you to focus the answer
on some specific element of the information.
The most important goal is to focus on the key aspects
of the question and to convey the answer clearly.
Sometimes logically organised dot points can achieve
this goal as effectively as a well-constructed paragraph.
However, your ideas need to be organised in a logical
manner and cause and effect relationships should be
made obvious. Do not expect your examiner to make
these connections for you or to read through a lot of
irrelevant information to work out what you mean.
Use appropriate terminology
Use technical or scientific terms from your course to
demonstrate your understanding and knowledge in the
area. Technical terms are highly specific and thus reduce
the total number of words that you will need to write.
Support the key points in your answer with evidence
such as well chosen examples from your course.
In the following example, excerpt 1 uses scientific
terminology. It is clearly a more appropriate answer than
excerpt 2 which is not clear and does not demonstrate
sufficient understanding of the fermentation process.
For example:
1. Yeast are facultatively anaerobic which means
that they perform fermentation only under anaerobic
conditions. In the presence of O2, the yeast will
perform aerobic metabolism.
Outline the diversity and classification of marine
mammals found in Australian waters.
In this question the limiting terms restrict the main topic
to 'diversity and classification' and 'Australian waters’.
Therefore, the answer should outline the diversity and
classification of marine mammals, referring only to
those found locally in Australian waters. No marks will
be given for including species found elsewhere, or for
referring to the diversity and classification of non-marine
mammals etc.
Write a sufficient amount
How many marks is the question worth? The relative
weighting of the question can help you to gauge how
much you need to write. For example, a four-mark
question may require you to elaborate on two points. A
10-mark question will require considerably more
elaboration and may require you to cover five points.
(See Sample answer 2 on the next page.)
You will have less time and space for short answers
which should be concise. The use of the terms describe,
discuss or explain can alert you that the examiner wants
some detail, in full sentences, whereas list or outline
generally allows for less information, simply presented.
www.services.unimelb.edu.au/academicskills
2. Yeast can choose between using oxygen and not
using oxygen. They will ferment stuff only when
there is not enough oxygen around.
Adapted from:
http://www.uwlax.edu/biology/communication/answeringessay
questions.htm
Diagrams can be a useful aid to explanation. However a
diagram must be clear, well labelled and accompanied
by some explanation so that your examiner knows how
it relates to the question.
Starting your response by repeating some of the key
words question can help you stay on track. For example,
an exam question related to animal reproduction (on the
next page) has two separate aspects which could be
referred to in your opening statement:
1. Asexual reproduction can be defined as …
2. The advantages of asexual reproduction are …
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Sample Biology question
Consider
asexual reproduction
reproduction in animals.
and
(Sample answer 2 continued)
sexual
Sexual reproduction produces a huge variation in
offspring. Variation is the key to survival in an everchanging environment, however, sexual reproduction
requires finding a partner and this may not always be
easy (self-fertilization in plants overcomes this
problem).
Define
asexual
reproduction
and
sexual
reproduction, and give two examples of each.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of
asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction?
Asexual reproduction does not require a mate, and so
in this sense it can be desirable. However, no genetic
variation can be costly in an ever-changing
environment.
(10 marks)
Sample answer 1
Asexual reproduction occurs only by self-fertilisation.
This produces offspring with no genetic variation.
Score: This answer received 10/10.
Comments: The response received a maximum score
because:
Sexual reproduction occurs when separate male and
female gamete from the same species unite to
produce offspring.

it defined asexual reproduction (the offspring comes
directly from one parent, via mitosis): 2 marks

it defined sexual reproduction (requires two
different parents - fusion of the haploid gametes of
each - which are formed via meiosis): 2 marks

it provided two examples of each type of
reproduction ½ a mark per example = 2 marks in
total

it explained the advantages and disadvantages of
each type of reproduction (sexual reproduction
produces genetically varied offspring, however it
requires that a partner be found): 2 marks, and
Score: This response scored a total of 4/10.

Comments: The definition of asexual reproduction is
incorrect (zero out of two), while definition of sexual
reproduction correct, but not enough detail given (one
mark out of two). No examples given for either form of
reproduction (zero out of two). One disadvantage for
asexual is mentioned (1 mark). Advantages of asexual
are correct and one advantage of sexual is mentioned (1
mark) (three marks out of four).
noted that asexual reproduction doesn't require a
partner, however, it also doesn't provide any
genetic variation between generations: 2 marks.
The second sample answer is clearly a complete, wellorganised, logically sequenced response which uses the
language of the discipline appropriately.
Asexual reproduction has several advantages:

reproduction can occur without a mate

it is usually faster
However, there is no genetic variation.
Sexual reproduction has the advantage of producing
genetically varied offspring.
However, both a male and female from the same
species are needed for this to occur.
Samples from University of Melbourne. AIRport. Retrieved 29
July 2011, from https://airport.unimelb.edu.au/science/
Sample answer 2
Asexual reproduction is the formation of offspring
entirely from one parent. Cell division is via mitosis.
Sexual reproduction, however, requires two different
individuals (parents) that each produce gametes via
the process of meiosis.
Each haploid gamete (sperm for males and egg for
females) needs to fuse with the opposite gamete
(from another individual) to form a diploid zygote. This
becomes a new individual, containing genetic
information from both parents.
Sexual
Planaria
fertilisation in mammals
Parthenogenesis
fertilisation in earthworms
www.services.unimelb.edu.au/academicskills
Further resources
Monash University Language and learning online. (2007).
Breaking down the question. Retrieved 29 July 2011, from
http://www.muelc.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/study/examit/3.2.2.xml
University of Adelaide. Academic Learning and Language
Learning Guide. (2009). Short answer exams. Retrieved 29 July
2011, from
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/all/learning_guides/learningGui
de_shortAnswerExams.pdf
University of Wisconsin. (2001).
Communication in the
Biological Sciences. Answering essay and short answer exam
questions.
Retrieved
29
July
2011,
from
http://www.uwlax.edu/biology/communication/answeringessay
questions.htm
Examples:
Asexual
Works cited
Academic Skills
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13 MELB
•
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